Loads of friends on Facebook = likely to be victim of cyber crime

You may relish in your undeniable popularity on Facebook (you have well over 400 friends – well done), but it’s this same Facebook fame that could make you a target for cyber criminals. These virtual deviants are hijacking Facebook accounts and trying to con you out of your money by posing as a friend in grave need. So if you get a message from your mate asking you to lend him/her £500 because they’re stranded in the outback or lost somewhere in the Congo, it’s safe to assume that’s a scam (unless that’s the norm for you and your pals of course and then it becomes tricky).

Scammers have come a long way since the days of spam e-mails and phone calls from Africa requesting bank account details, which is portrayed so eloquently on Fonejacker. Computer experts have warned popular Facebook users to beware and expect to be targeted. But it’s not just beseeched messages you need to be weary of – there are more innocent virus plagued messages on the loose too.

I’ve been hit with one of these scams recently (does that mean I’m popular?) in the form of a message from a friend with the subject header ‘I saw you do something embarrassing on Youtube’. Taking into consideration the possibility of that statement I had to follow the link. Needless to say it wasn’t a link to YouTube, but luckily my computer hasn’t been inundated with copious levels of spam or a nasty virus. You might not be so lucky. And while Facebook is currently updating its security systems, remember to keep a beady eye on your account activity.